Renters Legal Rights - How to Help Protect them Through Renters Insurance
When you're living in a house or apartment
building that's owned by someone else, one of the things you'll
naturally be concerned about is your rights as a tenant. Renters
legal rights vary by locality, sometimes greatly. However, there
are a few things that tend to be standard. In the United States,
you are guaranteed to be able to get housing without discrimination
according to race, religion, disability, and a number of other
factors. If you think you have been discriminated against when
trying to rent, you should be able to contact your local government
and get information about how to file a claim.
Other things that are often protected
under renters' rights codes include the right to have your landlord
remedy poor housing conditions, the right to a certain amount
of privacy, protection from retaliation by your landlord for
real or perceived wrongs, protection from inappropriate or exorbitant
increases in your rent, protection for the right to form a tenant
union, and controls on evictions, making sure you can't be wrongly
evicted. The exact details of all of these renters' rights vary – in
some localities, your landlord can't enter your home without
24 hours notice. In others, he can do so whenever he chooses,
provided he knocks first. To find out what rights are protected
in your town, county, and state, you should investigate your
local laws. These can often be found on the Internet, or by talking
to a local tenant union. Don't just go by what your friends and
neighbors say.
Remember that your rights under law don't extend to your belongings.
If they are damaged or destroyed by an accident while you're living
in a rented property, your landlord is not obligated to replace
them. If your landlord destroys them deliberately, you will, of
course, have a viable case on your hands. Remember that the homeowners
insurance on rental properties that your landlord buys does not
necessarily extend to your personal belongings. The best way to
protect them is through renters insurance.
You may think that renters insurance
isn't important or that it is too expensive. However, consider
the cost of replacing everything you own, if there is a fire
in your building. Comparatively, renters insurance is quite inexpensive.
If you're really concerned about your rights, protect them by
looking at some renters insurance quotes to cover all of your belongings. You'll
be insured against fire, water damage, theft, and even some liability
for the belongings of other people in your building. It will
also cover your belongings while traveling, like your suitcase.
To safeguard your electronics, kitchen appliances, wardrobe,
and other things, make sure that you investigate renters insurance.
You could be covered for only ten to twenty dollars a month – a
small price for the peace of mind that this kind of insurance
can bring you. Protect your rights as a tenant by purchasing
renters insurance today, and know that you'll be covered, even
if a catastrophe happens.